Torrence

The Sound of Mull from the summit of Ben Hiant, Scotland. Photographer, Richard Webb CC BY-SA 2.0.

It is well known how hard Robert Bruce was pressed by the English, until the death of his terrible foe Edward I., and the accession of the imbecile Edward of Caernarvon, afforded him an opportunity of rallying his adherents, and of entering upon that career of success, which resulted in the crowning victory at Bannockburn. But previously to this, while wandering with a few followers as a hunted fugitive, in the islands and western portion of Scotland, he on one occasion was pursued so closely, that he would most inevitably have been killed or taken, had it not been for the timely aid afforded him by two men of the name of Torrance; who, by rowing him in their boat over a firth or arm of the sea, enabled him to escape the search of his enemies. The allusion to this service is obvious, both in the arms and motto.

Arms. — Per pale gules and or, two boats' oars in sal tiro azure.

Motto. — "I saved the King."


From the Anecdotes of Heraldry (p. 161) which can be found here.

Banshees and Robert Cuninghame, 1801

The Right Honorable Robert Cuninghame, 1st Baron Rossmore, was born 18 April 1726, and died 6 August 1801. He was the son of Col. David Cuninghame of Seabegs, Stirlingshire and Margaret, daughter of John Callander of Stirlingshire. Robert was a direct descendant of Sir Humphrey Colquhoun, 10th of Colquhoun, 12th of Luss (1440-1493) and also of Sir John Cuninghame of Drumquhassil (b. c1511).

The following story is from Biographies of the Members of the Irish Parliament 1692-1800 (2002):

Bunworth Banshee, Fairy Legends and Traditions of
the South of Ireland by Thomas Crofton Croker, 1825.

He was nicknamed 'Roby' by Lord Shannon (0213). The Rossmores are alleged to be followed by a banshee: her terrible wailing was first heard in 1801 when the first baron lay dying. Lord Rossmore lived in some style at Mount Kennedy, and enjoyed giving house parties. Sir Jonah and Lady Barrington lived nearby and appear to have been frequent guests. On this occasion they retired at about midnight and slept soundly until two o'clock in the morning, when Sir Jonah was awakened by a wild and unearthly cry, which he described as 'not a natural sound'. He lost no time in rousing his wife, and the scared couple got up and opened the window, which looked over the grass plot beneath. It was a moonlight night and the objects around the house were easily discernible, but there was nothing to be seen in the direction whence the eerie sound proceeded. Now thoroughly frightened, Lady Barrington called her maid, who straight away would not listen or look and fled in terror 'to the servants' quarters. The uncanny noise continued for about half an hour, when it suddenly ceased. All at once a distinct exclamation "Rossmore, Rossmore, Rossmore" was heard and then all was still. The Barringtons looked at each other in dismay, and were utterly bewildered as to what the cry could mean. They decided however, not to mention the incident at Mount Kennedy and returned to bed in the hope of resuming their broken slumbers. They were not left long undisturbed, for at seven o'clock they were awakened by a loud knocking at the bedroom door, and Sir Jonah's servant, Lawler, entered the room, his face white with terror. "Oh, Lord Sir!", "What's the matter?" said I [Sir Jonah] hurriedly "Is anyone dead?" "Oh Sir," answered the man, "Lord Rossmore's footman has just gone by in great haste, and he told me that my Lord, after coming from the Castle, had gone to bed in perfect health but that about half-after two this morning, his own man hearing a noise in his master's bed (he slept in the same room) went to him and found him in the agonies of death, and before he could alarm the other servants all was over!" The banshee, it is said, still follows the family' - presumably the Westenras, as the barony was remaindered to the children of the sisters of Lady Rossmore in succession. The Murray sisters were through their mother, Mary Cairnes, the ultimate heirs of Sir Alexander Cairnes (0334).

A Bit about William Colquhoun: Brave. Selfless. True.

Flag of Scots rendering by M. McKenzie

William Colquhoun (c1633-1675)

William Colquhoun was born in Scotland in the 1630s. At about age 16-17, as a Scottish Covenanter, he went to war, joining thousands of his fellow countrymen in support of Charles I and then Charles II against the Commonwealth of England (Republic of England and Wales) in what is known as Third English Civil War.


"Our maine fear to have our religion lost, our throats cutted, our poor countrey made an English province, to be disposed upon for ever hereafter at the will of a Bishop of Canterburie..." (The Letters and Journals of Robert Baillie, 1637-1662, Vol. 1, p. 66).

 

Battle of Dunbar. Leslie's Scottish troops (ctr), Cromwell's troops (l&r).
English warships at bottom. Artist unknown. Public domain.

William and his brethren were defeated in battle 3 September 1650 the Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland. One of William's fellow soldiers at Dunbar may have been a younger brother of his, possibly named John. Himself a youth, of perhaps about 13-15 years of age, he is believed to have also survived the battle and the other deplorable events to follow, but his ultimate fate is not yet certain.

17th century English Civil War painting, artist unknown.
Photograph courtesy of The McKenzie Family (watermarked).

William and the several thousand other surviving Scottish soldiers were forced to march over one hundred miles, on foot, to Durham Cathedral, England. More than half of these soldiers died along the way, many of starvation or thirst, others  died of injuries, illness, or were killed when trying to escape. Of those who made it to Durham Cathedral to be held prisoner for the winter, many died each day. Reportedly, prisoners of Durham in the past had burned woodwork in order to keep warm. This may have included the imprisoned soldiers of Dunbar (Wallace, 2013, p. 130)

Flag reportedly carried at the Battle of Dunbar 1650. Public domain.

Interior of Durham Cathedral. Author: Oliver-Bonoch.
Made available under Creative Commons Share Alike 3.0 license.

The whereabouts of the of the dead was unknown for over 400 years. Mass graves discovered in the 1940s and in 2013 were later studied by scientists and determined to be the remains of the prisoners of Dunbar. Sometime after the winter of 1650-51, a large number of these Scottish prisoners were forced into slavery in North America. Our William was one of them.

It should be noted that prior to the mid-1600s, most American slaves were considered to be indentured, no matter the shade of their skin. But by 1650 in some parts of America, namely Virginia, lawmakers decided that slaves of color (e.g. Native American and African American) should be made permanent or perpetual slaves and that white slaves should be made to be "indentured" no matter if they were originally forced into slavery (like the Scots of Dunbar) or if they were contracted into "indentured servitude" (such as in order to pay off passage or a prison sentence). By 1705 in Virginia, this was firmly rooted into law. For people like myself, who have researched their ancestors and found that some people of color were free in America as early as the late 1600s, this is why. They (or their parents) will have been indentured originally, and many of them and their descendants remained free. After, 1705, this was an exceedingly rare or non-existent circumstance. Additionally, while some whites were initially forced into slavery, many others were intended to be indentured but were often tricked or forced into more years of servitude. To say the least, the life of a slave was a harsh and often short one (learn more in Maggie Delaney: Her Story). Our William, however, was originally forced into slavery by the English, but somehow became "indentured" when he arrived in America. In his case, the reason may not have been related to changing views or laws, but it may simply have been the choice of the slaveholder. The following text may shed some light:


Extract from a Letter written by Rev. John Cotton to the Lord General Cromwell, dated at "Boston in N.E. 28. of 5th 1651"... (likely in respect to the Scotsmen taken prisoner at the battle of Dunbar, 3 September 1650):

"The Scots, who God delivered into your hands at Dunbarre, and whereof sundry were sent hither, we have been desirous (as we could) to make their yoke easy. Such as were sick of the scurvy or other diseases have not wanted physick and chyrurgery*. They have not been sold for slaves to perpetual servitude, but for 6 or 7 or 8 yeares, as we do our owne; and he that brought the most of them (I heare) buildeth houses for them, for every four an house, layeth some acres of ground thereto, which he giveth them as their owne, requiring 3 dayes in the weeke to worke for him (by turnes) and 4 dayes for them themselves, and promiseth, as soone as they can repay him the money he layed out for them, he will set them at liberty" (New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol. 1, p. 380).

(*"Physick" refers to medical attention; "chyrurgery" or "chirurgery" refers to surgery.)


A freeman by 1664, William had purchased land at Block Island, Rhode Island and married Deliverance Peck (1639-1727), with whom he would have seven children between 1663 and 1674. Deliverance was the daughter of Rev. Joseph Peck and Deliverance Bosworth (1616-1675). Joseph Peck was a puritan leader in Plymouth Colony who along with his brother, Rev. Robert Peck, came to America having fled religious persecution in England (Peck, 1868, p. 14). Joseph was also a purchaser of the land that would become Rehoboth, Massachusetts and was one of Rehoboth's first settlers (Peck, 1868, p. 17).

In 1665, William moved his family to Swansea, Massachusetts, founded as a refuge for Baptists in response to the harsh methods of the Puritans. William (as Wm. Cahoone) was among the first signers admitted to the town (Wright, 1917, p. 49). As cited in Wright, the town had been established under the following terms:

1.  That no erroneous person be admitted into the township as an inhabitant or sojourner.
2.  That no man of any evill behaviour or contentious person to be admitted.
3.  That none may be admitted that may become a charge of the place.

In 1673, William became the town's official brickmaker. William could write his name, as is evident on documents of the day. But his name was often misspelled by others. As most researchers know, most names (and very often Scottish) are spelled differently at some point, or changed or misspelled even within the same family or the same documents. It has been suggested that a reason for William Colquhoun's change in spelling (to Cahoone and then Cahoon) is that "Colquhoun" wouldn't fit on his custom bricks or on the sign for his business. This could be true, but it also might be due to simplification of spelling to make it easier for others to pronounce (and spell). This has been the case for many people who found themselves in America. For example, some of our Italian immigrants to America felt forced to change their name from Casbarro to Caspero and finally to just "Casper" to thwart any further confusion. Others simply changed their name from De Cesare to Givens. Now that's simplification. Following is an excerpt from a Swansea town record explaining William's appointment (and with a couple of different name spellings):

At a town meeting of the townsmen, December 24, 1673, it was agreed upon by and between the townsmen in behalf of the town and William Cohoun brickmaker that for and in consideration of a lot and other accommodations or grantes and given him from the town unto him the said William Cohoun. It was therefore agreed and concluded upon by the parties above as that the said William Cahoun shall supply all the inhabitants of the town with bricks at a price not exceeding twenty shillings a thousand in current pay putting between man and man (Proprietors Book of Grants and Meetings, 1668-1769, Swansea, Massachusetts).


Even after all he faced from the brutality war, captivity and then slavery, William was still willing to risk his life for others. On the evening of 22 June 1675, at about age 42, he was killed doing just that. It was the beginning of what is known as King Phillip's war. King Phillip was another name for Chief Metacomet of the Wampanog tribe. When the town was attacked and many people were injured or killed, William and his family joined others for safety in the nearby home of John Miles, minister of Swansea, whose house was a garrison for troops. When it was apparent that some of the others would die without medical attention, William and another man set out to get a doctor in the neighboring town of Rehoboth, Massachusetts (Bliss, 1836). They knew that the risk was great, but they took the chance in order to save their friends. Both men were heinously killed. Their bodies were found just a short distance from their destination.

William suffered more pain and tragedy in his young life than anyone should ever bear. And we only know this small part of it. Through it all, he not only managed to survive, but to thrive; to become a successful craftsman, to own land, and start a family. All of this, while thousands of miles from his birth home and from any kin he might have known but was never to see again. We do not know all of the trials he faced. We do not know if his parents had been those former nobles of Luss who'd been exiled for sixteen years; and if so, whether his mother had died, an event which may have sent the boys into battle and that father back to beg for the mercy of his kin. We do know that that former Lord of Luss kept forever secret the events of his time away with the Lady, and that she and any children they may have had during those secretive years were never spoken of again, at least in any written history known of to-date.

We also know that whatever family William had was lost to him in Scotland, and that thousands of Scots fought hard for their freedom, crown, and country. Let us never forget that these were both children and men, nobles and poor men. Arguments flourish over whether William could descend from a noble house and still have been "let" to go to war so young, lest he become hurt or held for ransom. A quick history lesson should ease those thoughts. Unlike many fantasy stories, decidedly few were ever so fortunate to be sheltered away from the likes of war. Speaking specifically of Scotland, nobles (chiefs, lords) and all other able-bodied males were expected to defend their country, and it seems that most proudly did so. It is foolish to imagine that one young man out of the thousands of other young soldiers with noble blood would have been safe from having to participate. And we do know that during that war, every man and boy who was able was needed to fight, and that unfortunately most men and boys available to battle at Dunbar were inexperienced. Furthermore, DNA evidence now confirms that many of these soldiers were in fact only 13-29 years of age, just as William was. It's not a far reach to believe that many of these young men lived within a hundred miles of Dunbar. Such places within that area include Haddington, Luffness, Belford, Edinburgh, Langholm, and even Luss.

Our William was a 17th century Colquhoun of Scotland. Of that we can be proud and sure. And no matter what his origins might have been, William Colquhoun was stouthearted and true, and cared to help others with utter selflessness and courage, even in the face of the greatest dangers. Nobler roots could not exist.

************ 

Written by Maria C. McKenzie, a 10th Great-Granddaughter of William Colquhoun  and Deliverance Peck through their eldest son Samuel Cahoon.

Learn More:

Sowams Heritage Area | Cahoone Brickworks

Historic UK | The Battle of Dunbar

British Civil Wars Project | The Battle of Dunbar, 1650

UK Battlefields Resource Center | Battle of Dunbar II

BBC News| Durham Palace Remains were Scottish Prisoners


References:

Bliss, Leonard Jr (1836). History of rehoboth, bristol county, massachusetts. Otis, Broaders, and Company, publishers. Boston.

New England Historic Genealogical Society (1847). The new england historical and genealogical register (Vol. 1)(p. 380). S.G. Drake, publisher.

Peck, Ira B. (1868). A genealogical history of the descendants of joseph peck. (pp. 17,  Alfred Mudge and Son, publishers. Boston.

Wallace, D.C. (2013). Twenty-two turbulent years 1639-1661. (p. 130). Fast-Print Publishing.

Wright, Otis O. (1917). History of swansea, massachusetts, 1997-1917. (pp. 48, 49). Swansea (the town), publisher.

Women of the Red Cross Motor Corps

 Image title: Motor Corps taking "Flivver" apart (28 Oct 1918). American National Red Cross photograph collection (Library of Congress).

The American Red Cross Motor Corps was a unit of women who served during WWI and WWII to transport and give aid to sick and wounded troops and to support the American Red Cross (ARC). Their duties were many, and they often took on additional tasks and went far beyond their call of duty. During the flu pandemic of 1918-1920, the Motor Corps often traveled the country and overseas, caring for the sick, their loved ones, and even their homes:

 Fearless of the possibility of contracting influenza themselves, the Motor Corps women worked night and day, serving frequently as much as 100 hours per week apiece, carrying patients—on their backs, in sheets, in blankets, on chairs, or whatever was available when stretchers could not be used— to hospitals from homes of poverty and luxury alike. No assignment was refused, nor did members of the Motor Corps confine themselves to these services-—they did anything that needed doing. It is on record that they actually scrubbed floors and cooked meals for families, all members of which were ill, and in several instances they even conducted funerals. (The Redcross Bulletin, Vols. 4-5, cited in Wikipedia).

 

Maria Michella Casbarro "Margaret Casper" in uniform 1917 (age 22).
Part of a pennant is visible on the wall and may have read "A.R.C." (American Red Cross).
Personal family collection. Please do not copy or distribute.

Born in New York, 1895, to Italian immigrants, Maria Michela Casbarro (later Margaret Agnes Casper), was a longtime volunteer nurse for the Red Cross and served in both WWI and WWII. We have recently discovered this photograph of her wearing a Motor Corps Driver uniform in 1917, the year the Motor Corps began. This was a specific part of her story that we never knew about, and it has inspired us to learn more about these selfless and valiant women. 

 

 American Red Cross Uniforms from Left to Right: 1. Motor Corps Driver's Uniform, 2. another style of Motor Corps Driver's uniform (the one worn by Maria Casbarro), 3. Motor Corp Driver's Overcoat, 4. Foreign Service Uniform. Photos of women wearing uniform number two without the long overcoat seem to be scarce.
Image courtesy of The Smithsonian under fair use law. Original author unknown.

Motor Corps Minneapolis, Minnesota, 27 November 1918. American National Red Cross photograph collection (Library of Congress).

Motor Corps receiving instructions in First Aid, 28 October 1918. American National Red Cross photograph collection (Library of Congress).

"Motor Corps Women did much for the comfort of sick and wounded during the war and after. Two are here shown doing their bit in helping a wounded hero from ambulance into a theatre where a show was given for wounded Colored soldiers." Scott, Emmett J. The American Negro in the World War, Chapter VIII (1919).

St. Louis Red Cross Motor Corps on duty, October 1918. American National Red Cross photograph collection (Library of Congress).



"The Motor Corps has been a service of unselfishness and self-sacrifice, made possible only by the spirit of generosity which the war evoked throughout the nation. From this account it would be ungracious to omit mention also of the silent contribution made by many husbands, brothers, fathers, sisters, and mothers, who have given the entire use of their cars to this service. Indeed the whole story of the Motor Corps is a remarkable and interesting page in the history of the development of war-time transportation." -The Red Cross Bulletin, 1920

 

Photo of Florence Harriman heading Washington Ambulance Corps in Red Cross parade 4 October 1917. 
Work is in the public domain in the United States.

From the autobiography of Florence Jaffray Harriman, women's rights advocate, author, and Red Cross Motor Corps Driver:

Tuesday, May 29th, 1917. Helen Astor wants me to let Ethel go to France to do Y.M.C.A. work with her. It is a great opportunity, but it is hard to reconcile myself to parting with her. I wish that I could go myself, but now that I have accepted Mr. Gompers’ appointment, I couldn’t very well do that.

I hardly remember at all what I did in the summer of 1917. I missed Ethel dreadfully, and since she wasn't at home, took on the ambulance work on Sundays. The week I divided very evenly between the Committee on Women in Industry and the Red Cross Motor Corps. The Sunday runs of the ambulance were hard work, but never without an incident. Usually we went to Humphries and brought patients back from there to Walter Reed Hospital, a round trip of about fifty-five miles.

One evening I was driving with my girl orderly beside me. We had three very sick soldiers, one unconscious and one delirious. The road from the camp to Washington was only just under construction and a thunder-storm on the way out had so mucked a part of the road just before the main highway that we were mire. The girl orderly loped off down the road until she found two kind young men and ran them back to pry us out. In the middle of our trouble our third patient made a sign that he felt seasick. Our new ambulance was our pride and our joy. My orderly almost automatically snatched what proved to be a brannew hat from the head of our kindly rescuer, thrust it under the soldier's chin with a pleading, "Goodness sakes, don't spoil the ambulance! Use this."

It may have been just a case of man standing by man. The seasick man, out of respect for his brother's hat, settled back and didn't use it.

The rule was that no man, unless in uniform, could accompany us on Motor Corps work and it was very rare that an officer had time to volunteer to come along. And my fleet-footed orderly couldn't always find husky arms to conscript on the lonely country road. The girls used to change tires themselves with extraordinary speed when we had a critical case inside. They used to get up at 4 A.M. They followed behind green troops on country hikes and carried the canteen workers back and forth.

The work was organized in March, 1917, at Miss Boardman’s request, and a few days after war was declared, the organization was complete. Ethel designed the Corps uniform, long gray coat and breeches, high boots, leather belt and a service cap. What stormy meetings we used to have and all about the uniform. Some thought breeches wouldn’t become them. Some said their husbands would never, never let them wear such things. Some, who knew beforehand how beautifully they could wear the uniform, turned out quite incapable of driving a car. Once we got the coats and breeches made, they became so popular that the national motor service of the Red Cross followed the example of our Washington Corps and the breeches dispute became a lost cause. 

The members qualified themselves for their service by taking courses in the first aid and motor repair work, and they received stretcher drills from officers of the 6th Engineers and became very skilful in lifting the injured, placing them on litters, loading and unloading ambulances, and carrying the stretchers into hospitals and houses. When I went to Europe in the autumn of 1917, Mrs. Floyd Waggaman became Commanding Officer pro tem., and I resumed command on my return the following spring. In September, 1918, when I went across again, I resigned and Mrs. David Fairchild took my place, followed later by Mrs. Carter. The best work was done while I was overseas during the influenza epidemic. Then the Motor Corps members went in and out of houses, carrying the stretchers themselves. In all they carried as many as two thousand patients to the hospitals. They did a yeoman’s service. Members of the Corps were on duty for twenty-four hours at a time, sleeping on cots in the garage between calls. 

Harriman, Florence Jaffray, 1870-1967. From pinafores to politics. Henry Holt and Company, publishers. National American Woman Suffrage Association Collection Library of Congress, https://lccn.loc.gov/23017479.

The automobile fleet of the Women's Volunteer Motor Corps of the A.R.C. was out in force to transport wounded veterans in the great welcome parade accorded the Twenty-seventh Division in N.Y. March 25, 1919. These men had an honor position in the long column and received a tumultuous ovation by the millions that witnessed the spectacle. American National Red Cross photograph collection (Library of Congress).

Learn more about the woman of the Red Cross Motor Corps:

National Women's History Museum
TransportationHistory.org
The Red Cross Bulletin, Volumes 4-5, American Red Cross, 1920